SCBWI Houston: Designing and Illustrating Covers
Sep 25, 2025
Online event
Gain skills and insights to create incredible book covers to successfully sell your children's books to prospective publishers and book buyers. A great cover is the most critical piece of artwork you'll create for your book, and the most scrutinized part of any book project. In this workshop, you'll learn the process, nuts and bolts, pitfalls to avoid, and how to stand out, and enjoy the process, all from award-winning illustrator Kaz Windness! Whether you're a published or pre-published illustrator, and interested in picture books, early readers, or even middle grade covers, this class is for you. Gain skills and tips you'll be using for many successful publishing years to come.
Critiques
Kaz will accept portfolio submissions of up to 12 images between August 1st and September 18th. Each portfolio will receive a written critique from Kaz which will be returned to the illustrator within a month of receiving them on or before October 18, 2025. Cost is $55.00 Submission guidelines will be provided in the registration website "meeting notes". You will also receive an email explaining submission guidelines.
What will it cost?
***Webinar cost for Members $20 ***Webinar cost for Preview members $40 ***Portfolio review cost for ALL $55
Want to know more about Kaz?
Kaz Windness is the Geisel award-winning, genre-crossing illustrator and author of funny and heart-warming books for young readers. Proudly neurodivergent (ASD/ADHD), Kaz specializes in character-driven books celebrating inclusivity, grit, and kindness. Her many books include "Swim, Jim!," “Worm and Caterpillar are Friends,” “When You Love a Book,” and “Bitsy Bat, School Star.” She is a professor of illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design and founder of The Cuddlefish Academy, where she inspires students to tell stories with pictures. Kaz lives in Colorado with her English teacher husband, two teen children, and a bunny-obsessed Boston Terrier named Remy. Kaz loves making deep-dish pizza from scratch and sketching animals at the zoo.